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Compare towns

Encinal vs Shamrock

499 miles apart. The biggest differences: work in town (+26.8 pts in Shamrock) and average commute (13 min in Encinal).

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Encinal, TXOne of the healthiest townsTexas · 1,298 people
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Shamrock, TXHomes around $82KTexas · 1,710 people
Swap order
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

EncinalOne of the healthiest towns
Health84% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Encinal →
ShamrockHomes around $82K
Housing$82K typical home73% below the TX typical home Work976 jobsbased in Shamrock, a regional job hub SchoolsBetter than 22%of TX districts All about Shamrock →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Work in town+26.8 pts
More of Shamrock’s workers stay in town
Shamrock 31%Encinal 4.2%
Average commute13 min
Encinal has the shorter commute
Shamrock 29 minEncinal 16 min
Trails2×
Shamrock has more miles of trail
Shamrock 0.2 miEncinal 0.1 mi
Property tax bill+30%
Tax bills are bigger in Encinal
Encinal $1,521Shamrock $1,174
Street grid+68%
Encinal has the more walkable street grid
Encinal 190Shamrock 113
Typical home built19 yrs
Shamrock’s homes are older
Encinal 1981Shamrock 1962
★ What stands out · Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Texas ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools
C+EncinalBetter than 38% of districts in the state C−ShamrockBetter than 22% of districts in the state
Health
C−EncinalHealthier than 16% of U.S. towns CShamrockHealthier than 25% of U.S. towns
Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Encinal$580/mo
Typical home $87K (Census) · tax rate 1.75% · or rent about $814/mo · Housing →
Shamrock$520/mo
Typical home $82K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.29% · or rent about $958/mo · Housing →

The difference: $60 a month, about $800 a year, between Encinal and Shamrock.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
EncinalShamrock
Snow a year0″9″
January low43°F24°F
July high98°F94°F
Growing season (days)296d202d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)29th70th
Outdoors & history
EncinalShamrock
Trails—0 mi
Conserved land—0.4%
Settled—1890
National Register places—1
Community
EncinalShamrock
Library hours a week—19 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

499 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

EncinalTXShamrockTX
Encinal ↔ Shamrock499 miles apart
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

EncinalShamrock
People
Population 1,298Lowest 1,710Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -3.4%Highest TX: +15.9% -6.3%Lowest TX: +15.9%
Median age 38.5±18.8Lowest 8% above TX 40.2±3.4Highest 13% above TX
Shamrock and Encinal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 16.9%±6.6Lowest TX: 25% 21.9%±4.5Highest TX: 25%
Shamrock and Encinal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 21.3%±8.6Highest TX: 13.4% 19.2%±4.8Lowest TX: 13.4%
Encinal and Shamrock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 12%Highest TX: 33.8% 10%Lowest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 13.4%±12Highest TX: 6.2% 0.5%±1.2Lowest TX: 6.2%
Encinal and Shamrock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $50,833±$9kHighest 35% below TX $46,912±$20kLowest 40% below TX
Encinal and Shamrock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $86,900±$36kLowest 69% below TX $91,000±$8kHighest 68% below TX
Shamrock and Encinal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $814±$243Lowest 42% below TX $958±$335Highest 32% below TX
Shamrock and Encinal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,521Highest 64% below TX $1,174Lowest 72% below TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 73%±59.4Lowest TX: 51.7% 76.5%±25.9Highest TX: 51.7%
Shamrock and Encinal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 19.4%Highest TX: 13.8% 19.3%Lowest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 81.8%Highest TX: 62.6% 76.5%Lowest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1981Highest 11 yrs older than TX 1962Lowest 30 yrs older than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 16 minLowest 40% below TX 29 minHighest 9% above TX
Work from home 0.6%±1.3Lowest TX: 14.4% 3.1%±3.1Highest TX: 14.4%
Shamrock and Encinal are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 4.2%Lowest 31%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 83.3 miHighest 15.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.96Lowest 1.50Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Cotulla (19%)Amarillo (8%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ShamrockFew work in Encinal
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 0.4%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.1 miLowest 0.2 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miHighest 0.1 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 2Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 190Highest 113Lowest
Schools
School district COTULLA ISD—
High school in town None in town—
Texas average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Encinal neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Encinal’s Town Square.

Shamrock neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Shamrock’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Encinal

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Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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